Video Transcript: Ephesus

Often crowded with tourists. Ephesus is a must see stop on any trip itinerary  through western Turkey. Few archaeological sites in Turkey are as impressive  as Ephesus. In fact, with the possible exception of Pompeii. One could argue  that it is the world's finest surviving example of a Greco Roman classical city.  After more than a century and a half of excavation, the city's recovered and  renovated structures, bear eloquent testimony to this important and grand city of ancient Asia Minor, and that's with 80% of the city yet to be unearthed. strolling  the streets of Ephesus, past fountains, statues, monuments, temples, a great  library, residences, the Agora and the theater. The modern visitor can easily  imagine the ancient city, thronged with crowds engaged in the various activities  of their society. Come with me on a journey, the quest for answers, looking for  the first followers of Christ in Turkey. Ephesus was a vibrant city of over 250,000 inhabitants the fourth largest in the empire, after Rome, Alexandria and Antioch,  add in traders sailors and pilgrims to the Temple of Artemis, and these numbers  would swell in Ephesus, one could encounter the full diversity of the  Mediterranean world and its peoples. So important and wealthy was Ephesus  that its Temple of Artemis on the western edge of present day. Selcuk was the  biggest on the earth one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A visit to  ancient Ephesus should include time to visit several associated sites such as  the museum, the house of Mary, the Basilica of St. John, the Temple of Artemis,  and the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. Basilica of St. John was constructed in the sixth century by Justinian I and is believed to be standing in the exact site where John, the author of the book of Revelation and the Gospel of John was buried.  The entire structure of the basilica was modeled from the current church of the  holy apostles that is located in Constantinople. The city was the home of the  many breasted goddess of fertility, Artemis, or Diana whom all of the Asia in the  world fanatically worshiped her image was believed to have fallen down from  heaven. The magnificent temple devoted to the goddess was the pride of the  citizen of Ephesus, it was reckoned among the wonders of the ancient world.  The inner shrine of the Temple of Diana was a safety deposit for an enormous  number of valuables from all over the Mediterranean and beyond. This made the temple one of the most important financial centers in the ancient world. William  Barclay says the temple possess the right of asylum, that is to say, If any man  committed a crime if he could reach the precincts of the temple before he was  arrested, he was safe. That immunity extended to an area of one bow shot or  200 yards all around the temple. Thus, the temple houses the choicest collection of criminals in the ancient world. Only the foundation and one column remain of  this temple, which probably measured 115 meters long, 55 meters wide and 18  meters high. Located in Selcuk, the Ephesus museum exhibits many  spectacular fines from the excavations at Ephesus in the surrounding area, with  nine galleries reorganized after a massive renovation. The Ephesus museum  contains artifacts from Ephesus terraced houses, and the Temple of Artemis 

including scales, jewelry and cosmetic boxes as well as coins, funerary goods  and ancient statuary. The famous terracotta effigy of the phallic God Priapus is  in gallery two. In most of gallery four is giving over to Eros in sculpted form. The  two multi breasted marble statues of Artemis in gallery eight are very fine works. Finds from a gladiator cemetery are displayed here too, with commentary on the weaponry, training regimes and occupational hazards. Also worth seeing is the  frieze from the temple of Hadrian in gallery nine, which is devoted to the Imperial cult. This shows four heroic Amazon's with their breasts cut off early Greek  writers attributed the founding of Ephesus to them. Ephesus is believed to be  the city of the Seven Sleepers. The story of the Seven Sleepers who are  considered saints by Catholics and Orthodox Christians, and whose story is also mentioned in the Quran tells that they were persecuted because of their loyal  faith to belief in God and that they slept in a cave near Ephesus for centuries.  The main site of the ancient city of Ephesus has two entrances, one at the north  end of the site, the lower entrance and the other at the south east edge of the  site, the upper entrance, walking the upper entrance of the city through the  magnesian gate, you will be astounded by amazing sights, grooves made by  chariot wheels, streets made of marble that lead to wonderful temples, fountains as well as porticoes and frescoes and luxurious terraced houses. Touring the  three story Celsus library that housed a total of 12,000 scrolls, the Odeon, a  small theater, the temple of Hadrian, devoted to the worship of the Emperor,  Curetes Street, the main path, the magnificent Trajan fountain, as well as the  Grand Theatre, originally holding 25,000 people. Ephesus city is proof and  testimony of the greatness and prominence of ancient civilization. Pergamum  was the official capital of the province of Asia, but Ephesus was by far its  greatest city. It claims the proud title, the first and the greatest metropolis of  Asia. The Christian church in Ephesus, at the time of the writing of the book of  Revelation, was probably the most influential Christian church in the province. It  was the Church founded by Aquila and Priscilla and the young preacher Apollos. Paul worked in Ephesus for about three years. And he addressed that the letter  which we know today as Ephesians, to this church. It was in this city that some  of the greatest victories of the Gospel were won. In spite of the city's notorious  reputation. The church in Ephesus grew rapidly. Later Timothy and John, the  apostles spent a great deal of time in ministry there. G. R. Beasley Murray  notes, it is comprehensible, that teachers of many kinds and every shade of  doctrine were drawn to Ephesus to seek the patronage of the church and to  influence its ways. Barclay makes an interesting observation. Sometimes we  say that it is hard to be a Christian in a modern industrial competitive civilization. Let us remember Ephesus, and let us remember that there are Christians there.  To the angel of the church of Ephesus, write, these things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden  lampstands. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot 

bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles,  and are not, and have found them liars. And you have persevered and have  patience, and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works  or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place  unless you repent. But this you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans,  which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the  churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:1-7. John begins the letters to  the seven churches with Ephesus the nearest church to Patmos. Of all the  seven cities, Ephesus was located only 100 kilometres from Patmos, it is  appropriate that the first letter should be sent there. It was the most important  city of the province of Asia. If the traditions about John are correct, his heart rate would have quickened as he heard that the first of the seven letters was  destined for the church at Ephesus, saints it is widely believed that he himself  was a bishop there for many years. In the letter, the church is praised for its  orthodoxy chided for its failure to love and challenge to repent and return to its  original high ground. In this letter, it is clear that Christ is intimately concerned  with his followers and cares for them, like he cares for you. Each letter is  introduced with a description of Jesus which relates directly to the problem of  the church. And each description of Christ is drawn from the details given in the  preview vision John recorded in the first chapter of Revelation. This links the  whole narration together. In the letter to Ephesus Jesus holds the seven stars,  the leaders of the churches, and walks among the seven golden lampstands,  the seven churches of Asia Minor. The words hold and walk in the Greek are  both present active participles, indicating that the action of the Lord is continual.  The verb krateo has the nuance of not merely holding, but also grasping or  exercising power, whereas paripateo gives the sense of walking about. It means that Christ lives among his earthly church with his people, and that he has  complete control over the church. If the church submits to that control, it will  never go wrong. And more than that, our security lies in the fact that we are in  the right hand of Christ thus is fulfill his promise to be with these disciples, to be  with them, always, even unto the end of the world. For this reason, you and I  can rest in peace, knowing that Christ is with us, holding and sustaining us each step of the way. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget  the way the Lord has led us in His teaching in our past history. As one who  walks in the midst of the churches, Christ is able to say I know your deeds.  These are the first words to each church. His admonition is that of one who is  fully acquainted with the problems of each church, and who is therefore able to  recommend an appropriate and effective solution. Their deeds Christ knows are  not so much separate acts as they are an overall manner of life. Jesus knows all

about the hard work and perseverance of the Ephesians Jesus mentions both of the active and passive sides of their lifestyle. The Ephesians had toiled to the  point of exhaustion, and had patiently born the hostility of a society at odds with  their goals and efforts. In the same way the exalted Christ knows what goes on  among his people. He knows what goes on with you and me, nothing passes  unnoticed before him. He loves and cares about you. Jesus appraisal of the  church in Ephesus is very positive. The church is praised for great qualities,  exhausting, hard work in patience. The members there have not grown weary,  they bear up under all kinds of pressure for the sake of Christ's name. That is to  say they have persevered for the sake of the purity of the message they preach.  The church is doctrinally sound. It does not tolerate evil men and tests those  who call themselves apostles, and they are not. It hates the practices of the  Nicolaitans. A tradition having the support of some of the early church fathers  identifies the Nicolaitans with the followers of Nicholas, who was one of the  seven men selected to serve the church in Acts 6:5 But later became a heretical  teacher. This heretical group advocated Christian compromise and promoted the view to their fellow Christians that there's nothing wrong with a prudent  conformity to the pagan practices. The Christians in Asia were evidently divided  on the issue of conforming to society. involvement in the pagan religious  festivals in Asia called for a compromise of Christian faith and beliefs. On one  side were those who obediently followed the decision of the Council of  Jerusalem to abstain from the food offered to idols, and the practice of cultic  prostitution obligatory for all citizens. On the other side were those who  advocated compromise. Such permissive teaching and misconduct were typical  characteristics of the baalamites in Pergamum, and the wicked woman Jezebel  in the church of Thyateira, who caused Christians to practice immorality and to  eat things sacrificed to idols, it could be that the Nicolaitans and those who hold  the teachings of baalim and Jezebel refer to three groups of false teachers with  the same permissive teaching of compromise, who were thus doing much harm  to the local congregations in Asia. All of these indicates as Barkley suggests  this, that Nicolaitans likely thought that Christians are freed from all law and can  live as they wish. They perverted the teaching of Paul and turn Christian liberty  and to Christian license. Christ's rebuke of this church is expressed in one  memorable phrase, you have forsaken your first love. This indicates that their  first love for Christ and the gospel had been disappearing. The initial members  of the church in Ephesus were known for their faith in the Lord Jesus, and their  ardent love for all the saints. But what characterized the religion of the church in  the beginning, was now lacking. The enthusiasm was gone, and the members  were starting to lose touch with God and love for one another. Religion in the  church of Ephesus became legalistic and loveless, every virtue carries within  itself the seeds of its own destruction. It seems probable that the desire for  sound teaching and the resulting action taken to exclude all imposters had 

created a climate of suspicion in which love within the believing community  could no longer exist. Unfortunately, the history of the Christian church has all  too many instances of unholy zeal in the pursuit of truth. Good Works and pure  doctrine are not adequate substitutes for that rich relationship of mutual love.  shared by those who have experienced for the first time, the redemptive love of  God. The Ephesian church had forsaken its first love. Whatever the sin, it  requires repentance. Indeed, all of the churches except Smyrna and  Philadelphia, are called to repentance, it is possible to slip away and gradually  without realizing what's happening. Christ councils them to go back and fast to  the first days. The Greek imperative literally means keep on remembering, hold  in memory. They had enjoyed a close walk with God. Let their minds dwell on  that. The second Council is to repent. The Greek eros points to a sharp break  with evil. Christians should never dally with wrong, there must be a sharp break  with it. Christ's third imperative is to do the things you did at first, the works that  had issued from their first love. The love that Jesus requires is an attitude  toward the brethren that expresses itself in loving acts. Jesus promises the  overcomer the privilege of eating from the Tree of Life in the paradise of God,  just as the opening description of Christ in each case echoes the vision in  Revelation 1:13-16. So this and many of the overcomers promises anticipate  this pathological visions later in the book. There are two very beautiful ideas for  the overcomers Firstly, there's the idea of the tree of life. This is part of the story  of the Garden of Eden. In the middle of the garden, there was the tree of life. But after Adam and Eve sinned, they were driven out of Eden They would not have  access to the tree of life. The second is the idea of paradise. The very sound of  the word is lovely. the paradise of God in Revelation symbolizes the  eschatological state, in which God and people are restored to that perfect  fellowship which existed before the entrance of sin into the world. The  overcomer in Ephesus is promised a permanent home in the restored Eden, in  which he or she will share the gift of eternal life, which Adam and Eve enjoyed  before the entrance of sin into the world. How is your love, your love for God  and for one another? Is it possible that you like the church at Ephesus have  forsaken your first love. Zeal without love leads to legalism. However, love  without zeal is indifference. Those who follow Christ's example and live out his  teachings will have both love and zeal interconnected and inseparable. And this  leads to Christ's likeness. Maybe you have submitted to a different temptation.  Maybe you've been listening to voices which have led you to compromise your  principles. You've said yes, when you should have run sin, no matter its color or  name is still sin, and it requires repentance. Today is the day for this decision,  not tomorrow, but today, don't run the risk of losing your place in God's kingdom. Christ warned the church at Ephesus that unless they repented, he would  remove their lampstand from its place among the other lampstands friend, grace is still available. The grace to forgive you is within your reach. The grace to 

embrace and revive you is still available, the Door of Mercy is still open to  receive you. The throne of grace is waiting for you. Don't hold back friend. Don't  delay your decision, accept Christ's invitation to spend eternity with the saints  that will eat from the tree of life in a new heaven and a new earth that God will  prepare for those who accept His grace. 

 In God's heavenly temple a door is opened by the intercessor. It won't be open  too long. That door to heaven will close soon. Jesus who is great will soon rise  from his sea and cry out, everything is done. Grace is still available, you may still find salvation, through Heaven’s intercession, the door hasn’t yet closed. At the sanctuary, Jesus longing for your choice. Soon evil and pain shall be gone. And love will forever reign. 

You cannot miss the chance to open the door of your heart to God. Jesus knocks and waits for your permission to enter. Don't miss tender voice of God's Holy Spirit. He’s the only one who has David’s key. 

Grace is still available, you may still find salvation, through Heaven’s intercession, but the door hasn’t yet closed. At the sanctuary, Jesus longing for your choice. oon evil and pain shall be gone. And love will forever reign. 

Mercy door is closing. Its time for your decision now. Follow the light and leave the night for soon the great hope will shine. Grace is still available, you may still find salvation, through Heaven’s intercession, but the door hasn’t yet closed. At the sanctuary, Jesus longing for your choice. Soon evil and pain shall be gone. And love will forever reign. Grace is still available.